My Path to Islam - My Full Story

As-salamu alaykum. I grew up ethnically Jewish and mostly secular - we observed some holidays but nothing strict. Around 15 I started feeling an emptiness in my heart. I tried becoming more observant in Judaism, but that hollow feeling only got worse. I struggled with personal sins and couldn’t feel any real closeness to God, so I eventually stopped being religious. After that I became curious about other faiths and learned about many, like Hinduism and Christianity. I never thought I’d even study Islam because of how I’d been taught to dislike Muslims and Arabs. Still, I had Muslim friends - my best friend since kindergarten is Muslim - and time moved on. One day while using online chat I became friends with a Muslim sister. We grew closer and talked about the future. She said she hoped for a future together but that I would have to become Muslim. At the time I couldn’t imagine that and I said no. A few months later I was on a train and a man sat next to me who told me if I ever felt stressed or worried I should read the Qur’an. I nodded nervously. A couple stops later the train stopped between stations and I got really anxious, but I’d forgotten his words and didn’t read the Qur’an then. That old emptiness was still there - I felt lonely, depressed, and exhausted. Outwardly I looked fine, but inside I felt dead. I tried returning to Jewish practice again, but there was no connection and nothing changed. I felt like I was sinking into a deep pit. One sleepless night I suddenly remembered the man on the train and felt a very strong urge to read the Qur’an. I told myself I’d just read it, not convert, but as I read I fell in love with it. In that moment I knew I wanted to become Muslim. I gathered my courage and asked a Muslim friend to take me to the masjid so I could say the shahada. It took me about a month to work up the nerve because I was scared of how my family would react. During that month I started praying to Allah, even though I didn’t know how to pray perfectly or what to say. Still, I felt an overwhelming connection and a peace I hadn’t felt in years. After I took the shahada about six months ago, life became easier and that emptiness has slowly faded. Alhamdulillah, I’ve never been happier - nothing compares to the joy of serving Allah.